Vectors and Their Operations

The package "vect" enables us to manipulate vectors in wmMaxima. To load the package, you need to load the vector analysis package "vect"

--> load(vect)

Vectors are defined with the bracket [...], and calculated with the addition "+" and the scalar multiplication "*".

--> [2,5,3] + 2*[1,-3,2]

The dot product can be carried out in the similar manner.

--> [2,5,3] . [1,-1,2]

The cross product must be "expressed" in order to carry out the result.

--> express([2,5,-1] ~ [2,-1,3])

Here we can further demonstrates how we can use wxMaxima in order to complete some of the even-numbered exercises assigned in the class. Download the following wxm file, and see how you can start it.

exercise12-5.wxm